The Bean - Week 23

Fetal development in pregnancy week 23:

At this point you’ve pretty much adjusted to the fact you’ve got a moving little gymnast inside of you, but now he's going to kick up the party a notch because he can hear and react to sounds from the outside world. Sounds from your alarm clock, a thunder roll, or that darned car honking at you across the intersection can actually jar his little ears enough to elicit a kick or violent bout of squirming. Of course this also means that his little ears are picking up the sounds of your voice and those near you. So go ahead, sing a lullaby to your little angel—if he start kicking, it’s likely he just wants you to stop… or maybe it was a kick of approval? You decide. Your baby's tiny taste buds are still growing and his bones are continuing to ossify (harden), his tiny veins are visible through translucent yet wrinkly skin. (Think of it this way: he has been swimming in the equivalent of a long hot bath for the past 23 weeks, so you can’t blame him for being a little prune-like.)